Rosemary and epilepsy - caution/was Rosemary, Cineole (Rosmarinus officinalis)

[Guest guest]

Hi

 

Just a word of caution about rosemary and epilepsy.

 

Both Dr Tim Betts & Professor Tim Jacob have looked at the effects of

Rosemary essential oil, one with EEG measurement, the other in a trial which

looked at the possible role of aromatherapy in controlling epilepsy; see Tim

Jacobs research " Aromatherapy - does it work? " At http://tinyurl.com/2ow2j

and Tim Betts paper " Aromatherapy and Hypnosis in the Management of

Epilepsy " which makes the observation that the one person who chose Rosemary

for the trial suffered an *increase* in seizure. Tim Betts notes that: " Most

of the oils that aromatherapists use are safe for people with epilepsy

(although a few which contain a large amount of camphor, which is a

convulsant agent, are not: you will find a list, at the end of this piece,

of those oils which may be particularly useful and those oils that should be

avoided). "

 

Appendix 2 of the paper lists the following:

 

Oils that we have found helpful:

 

Jasmine

 

Ylang Ylang

 

Lavender

 

Camomile

 

Bergamot

 

Oils to be avoided:

 

Rosemary

 

Hyssop

 

Sweet fennel

 

Sage

 

 

 

Tim Betts is Consultant Neuro-psychiatrist of the Queen Elizabeth

Psychiatric Hospital in Birmingham, England, who specialises in Epilepsy. He

is the editor of Seizure, the European Journal of Epilepsy and Medical

Advisor to Epilepsy Action http://www.epilepsy.org.uk/index.html

 

 

 

The above research is not *conclusive* about the use of aromatherapy in

epilepsy (and Dr Betts emphasises this fact in the paper) but many good

results (short and long term) were noted during the trial (mainly with

ylang-ylang and jasmine) and Dr Betts feels it is an area that should be

more thoroughly researched. The paper was published in Seizure, Dec 2003.

 

As Prof Jacobs EEG experiment concluded that: " Ylang ylang and rosemary have

measurable effects on brainwave activity, and in the direction anticipated

from their reputed properties " ..and Tim Betts observed that seizures

increased in the one person who used Rosemary in the epilepsy trial, I think

we have reason still to be cautious in the use of (at least high camphor

containing) rosemary for epileptics. Not over cautious (as in - Never use

it!) or hysterical (as in - one sniff and you'll fall down!) - Just careful

in using any oil with high camphor content around people who have epilepsy.

Dr Betts confirmed this view during his talk " Using smell as a

countermeasure against epilepsy - why is it so successful? " at the IFPA

conference in October 2002. There are many forms of epilepsy; some have a

lower trigger threshold than others, and for these people rosemary could

prove to be seizure inducing, whilst for those with a higher threshold (or

different form/type of epilepsy) the same oil will give no problem. Fact is

- we don't know - therefore it's prudent to ere on the side of caution.

 

 

Unfortunately neither of the two projects mentioned record the chemotype of

rosemary used -

 

And that brings us back to aromatherapy use of essential oils and the

necessity of having full information about the oil (including chemotype) we

intend using, particularly in relation to the " whole body " condition of the

person one intends using it on/for.

 

Liz

 

(Who really MUST say " hello " to every one soon!! Sorry for not doing that

earlier)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Liz,

 

What you are posting on this issue is years out of date. The report

by Betts at the IFPA conference is based on a report first published

by him in Aromatherapy Quarterly way back in 1994. The validity of

that report was disputed by myself and there were many exchanges on

the matter on IDMA years ago. After extensive discussions it was

generally accepted that these reports of rosemary causing a problem

with epilepsy were anecdotal reports and there was no sound evidence

to support them. Attached below is just one of the many exchanges

on the issue and I have several more that were posted on IDMA in the

past. If people want to see those exchanges I have them.

 

This problem of urban rumours arises because the popular aromatherapy

novels are rarely if ever updated and so Joe public thinks these

novels are reality. Also of course with the massive turnover or

rather drop-out rate in aromatherapy we get teachers who are

relearning all the old garbage and regurgitating it to a new

generation of therapists. None of which is helped by aromatherapy

associations set up and run for the benefit of their leading lights

rather than for the therapists they represent. Those associations

have never attempted to validate the quality of aromatherapy

education and information which is why most of their teachers

continue after all these years promoting such idiotic rumours.

 

Martin Watt

===========================

Re rosemary and epilepsy.

aromatherapy

 

Re rosemary-G.Mojay

 

In reply to Gabrial Mojays post about Rosemary in epilepsy There

follows a copy of the relevant parts of a letter that I sent to Dr.

Betts on the 29th March 1994 following his article in Aromatherapy

Quarterly, my letter was NOT replied to.

--------------------

Dated some time in 1994.

Dear Dr. Betts,

 

I found your recent article in A.Q. fascinating and wonder if you

could clarify a few questions that remain in my mind.

 

*clipped* It was interesting to see that you also think that just

the association of a pleasant smell with relaxation is sufficient to

induce that state.

 

My main question is in regard to your statement about rosemary oil.

My extensive surveys of scientific literature have failed to come up

with definite confirmation that rosemary can induce an epileptic

incident. My opinion is that any pungent smells may have that

effect, i.e. camphor, thyme, marjoram (wild), etc. and that to single

out rosemary is probably incorrect. In regard to your (and my)

belief that autosuggestion can have a most potent effect, I wonder

perhaps if the single patient which you reported having this response

to rosemary, already had this potential planted in her mind, by an

aromatherapist or one of the many books on the market?

---------------

My comments above were based on Dr Betts own acknowledgement of how

powerful auto suggestion is. The fact that maybe years before, this

single patient may have read that rosemary was contra indicated in

epilepsy, would have been sufficient for a subsequent exposure to

cause the increase in brain wave patterns that was recorded.

 

This autosuggestion possibility also applies to the student that

Gabrial mentioned. As is so common in aromatherapy, a single

uncontrolled case from which all kinds of assumptions are made.

 

I am aware of all the other papers Gabrial/Bob Harris quote. They are

a rag bag of stupid experiments on rats where the volumes of

chemicals they are exposed to are way above anything that would ever

be used in aromatherapy, or PROLONGED inhalation in humans, (see last

para.), or they are based on the internal consumption of things like

synthetic camphor (no, not the same as natural).

 

Statements attributed to the Dutch herbalist such as 'Large doses of

rosemary have been shown to cause convulsions in patients', are

meaningless unless the dose is provided and a valid checkable

reference.

 

From Dr. Betts new reply to Gabrial, the following very interesting

note--'there is also the possible effect of a conditioned response to

the smell: apprehension about using a " dangerous " oil might also be

enough to trigger off a seizure'.

 

Yes indeed, and who is responsible for such effects- unjustified

statements made by aromatherapy authors!

 

I have previously posted about the complete nonsense talked

about 'ketonic oils' and how misleading that one is.

 

I would agree with being cautious about advocating the use of any

harsh smelling product for use by an epileptic person. However a good

quality water distilled rosemary oil is NOT harsh smelling, it smells

like the plant which can have a wonderful fragrance nothing at all

like camphor. Of course in aromatherapy there are steam distilled

oils that smell very camphoraceous, or because they are MADE using

synthetic camphor.

 

Rosemary oil is a GRAS status permitted food flavouring used in

alcoholic and non alcohlic beverages, frozen deserts, candy, baked

goods, meat products, relishes,etc. at a maximum use level of 26 ppm

and does anyone tell an epileptic person not to have rosemary with

their lamb?

 

We have already discussed on this list how little essential

oil gets into the body during an average aromatherapy treatment.

Of course if someone sits sniffing at a bottle they may well

get a lot of camphor and the other chemicals in their bloodstream

but that is not what happens with an average treatment.

 

I stick by what I said earlier, which is that there is not a

shed of SOUND evidence that rosemary can initiate an epileptic

incident any more than numerous other smells.

--------------------

Martin Watt. Researcher, writer, publisher on aromatherapy

and related matters.

http://www.aromamedical.com

--------------------

 

, " Liz Tams " <liz@h...> wrote:

> Hi

>

> Just a word of caution about rosemary and epilepsy.

>

> Both Dr Tim Betts & Professor Tim Jacob have looked at the effects

of

> Rosemary essential oil, one with EEG measurement, the other in a

trial which

> looked at the possible role of aromatherapy in controlling

epilepsy; see Tim

> Jacobs research " Aromatherapy - does it work? " At

http://tinyurl.com/2ow2j

> and Tim Betts paper " Aromatherapy and Hypnosis in the Management of

> Epilepsy " which makes the observation that the one person who chose

Rosemary

> for the trial suffered an *increase* in seizure. Tim Betts notes

that: " Most

> of the oils that aromatherapists use are safe for people with

epilepsy

> (although a few which contain a large amount of camphor, which is a

> convulsant agent, are not: you will find a list, at the end of this

piece,

> of those oils which may be particularly useful and those oils that

should be

> avoided). "

>

> Appendix 2 of the paper lists the following:

>

> Oils that we have found helpful:

>

> Jasmine

>

> Ylang Ylang

>

> Lavender

>

> Camomile

>

> Bergamot

>

> Oils to be avoided:

>

> Rosemary

>

> Hyssop

>

> Sweet fennel

>

> Sage

>

>

>

> Tim Betts is Consultant Neuro-psychiatrist of the Queen Elizabeth

> Psychiatric Hospital in Birmingham, England, who specialises in

Epilepsy. He

> is the editor of Seizure, the European Journal of Epilepsy and

Medical

> Advisor to Epilepsy Action http://www.epilepsy.org.uk/index.html

>

>

>

> The above research is not *conclusive* about the use of

aromatherapy in

> epilepsy (and Dr Betts emphasises this fact in the paper) but many

good

> results (short and long term) were noted during the trial (mainly

with

> ylang-ylang and jasmine) and Dr Betts feels it is an area that

should be

> more thoroughly researched. The paper was published in Seizure, Dec

2003.

>

> As Prof Jacobs EEG experiment concluded that: " Ylang ylang and

rosemary have

> measurable effects on brainwave activity, and in the direction

anticipated

> from their reputed properties " ..and Tim Betts observed that seizures

> increased in the one person who used Rosemary in the epilepsy

trial, I think

> we have reason still to be cautious in the use of (at least high

camphor

> containing) rosemary for epileptics. Not over cautious (as in -

Never use

> it!) or hysterical (as in - one sniff and you'll fall down!) - Just

careful

> in using any oil with high camphor content around people who have

epilepsy.

> Dr Betts confirmed this view during his talk " Using smell as a

> countermeasure against epilepsy - why is it so successful? " at the

IFPA

> conference in October 2002. There are many forms of epilepsy; some

have a

> lower trigger threshold than others, and for these people rosemary

could

> prove to be seizure inducing, whilst for those with a higher

threshold (or

> different form/type of epilepsy) the same oil will give no problem.

Fact is

> - we don't know - therefore it's prudent to ere on the side of

caution.

>

>

> Unfortunately neither of the two projects mentioned record the

chemotype of

> rosemary used -

>

> And that brings us back to aromatherapy use of essential oils and

the

> necessity of having full information about the oil (including

chemotype) we

> intend using, particularly in relation to the " whole body "

condition of the

> person one intends using it on/for.

>

> Liz

>

> (Who really MUST say " hello " to every one soon!! Sorry for not

doing that

> earlier)

>

 

[Guest guest]

Hi Martin

Bit late getting back on this - sorry - lot on at the moment.

 

> What you are posting on this issue is years out of date. The report

> by Betts at the IFPA conference is based on a report first published

> by him in Aromatherapy Quarterly way back in 1994.

 

Dr Betts spoke at the IFPA conference in 2002 not 1994. I personally asked

him about the use of oils containing a high camphor content with people who

have epilepsy, his reply was to use caution - caution as in - individual

triggers vary so greatly that prudence was the better way. The report in

Seizure/2003 is the two year follow up to the original work by the way.

Whether the " trigger " factor is produced by fear (pre-knowledge about so

called " urban myths " ) or by actual occurrence is academic - as a practicing

therapist I don’t want someone having a seizure on my couch, whether

psychosomatically self induced or induced by the oils I use.

>The validity of that report was disputed by myself and there were many

exchanges on

> the matter on IDMA years ago. After extensive discussions it was

> generally accepted that these reports of rosemary causing a problem

> with epilepsy were anecdotal reports and there was no sound evidence

> to support them.

At this point in time " anecdotal " evidence is the main evidence we have to

go on in aromatherapy, and because you managed to swing opinion to your side

on IDMA does not invalidate the reports of actual experience (that is in the

context of gathering empirical use) which may prove correct, or incorrect,

given the understanding of time. Anecdotal evidence is not avant-garde, it

is also relied on in allopathic medicine and is one of the main routs by

which drugs are recalled (yellow card) when their clinical use begins to

show very different results/side effects than those predicted in the lab.

Observed usage is a valuable method of validation, and without it Herbal

medicine would be non-existent and allopathic medicine would be short of

many drugs developed directly through the examination of the traditional use

of plants.

> This problem of urban rumours arises because the popular aromatherapy

> novels are rarely if ever updated and so Joe public thinks these

> novels are reality. Also of course with the massive turnover or

> rather drop-out rate in aromatherapy we get teachers who are

> relearning all the old garbage and regurgitating it to a new

> generation of therapists. None of which is helped by aromatherapy

> associations set up and run for the benefit of their leading lights

> rather than for the therapists they represent. Those associations

> have never attempted to validate the quality of aromatherapy

> education and information which is why most of their teachers

> continue after all these years promoting such idiotic rumours.

You really need to keep up to date with what is actually happening - to-day,

not yesterday - in UK AT. IFPA *are* involved in research, and additionally

have recently announce the IFPA ACORN research award which will grant up to

£2000.00 to help fund pilot-scale research studies into aromatherapy

practice (of the winning applicants choosing). The name " ACORN " gives an

indication of the direction of growth we hope this initiative will take over

the coming years.

Books will be republished - granted - but that is not down to the AT orgs.

It's down to the publisher and author. I don’t count myself as a " light " -

leading or otherwise - in aromatherapy and will challenge anyone who

proposes that I have any interest in IFPA other than in aromatherapy and

behalf of the UK therapists I (try to) represent.

To pick up a couple of points from your correspondence:

1) Auto suggestion is indeed a powerful tool - the results of " programming "

cannot be ignored when dealing with the health of others. Hence - " caution " .

2) Your refusal to accept " a rag bag of stupid experiments on rats " in

connection with this subject sits uneasily with your insistence that

essential oils are not safe for use on the skin unless clinically tested

(and in the main that means animal tested for the cosmetic industry).

3) I agree that " a good quality water distilled rosemary oil is NOT harsh

smelling " - but can you assure me that this is the oil *always* sold in the

high street? The kind Joe Public has access to? I think not.

The " soundness " of research is in the eye of the reviewer;

Good research - which is what we are looking for - progresses slowly, all

the while taking note of possibilities and links, not ignoring them or

spurning them if they don’t fit a particular theory. For you to proclaim

that there is no sound research that " proves " a connection between smelling

(not consuming) high camphor rosemary (and other camphoric oils) & epilepsy

is no more valid than someone declaring categorically that there is a

connection - neither is right because we simply do not know, the definitive

research is non existent. This is why empirical knowledge/anecdotal evidence

are important as a stepping stone to guide us to areas worth looking into.

 

The fact is, I don’t know whether high camphor containing oils provoke

seizure in susceptible subjects, Dr Betts doesn't know for certain, but

precautions against their use.

Epilepsy is a many faceted disorder and if individuals who live with this

condition wish to try high camphor containing oils personally - it's their

choice. For therapists to do so on clients is a different matter. We have a

duty of care towards our clients and - rightly or wrongly - a UK court would

be more likely to go with the research and opinion a widely respected

epilepsy specialist such as Dr Betts, than with your opinion if a case for

negligence were to arise.

You say:

" I would agree with being cautious about advocating the use of any harsh

smelling product for use by an epileptic person. "

I say:

" I think we have reason still to be cautious in the use of (at least high

camphor containing) rosemary for epileptics. Not over cautious (as in -Never

use it!) or hysterical (as in - one sniff and you'll fall down!) - Just

careful in using any oil with high camphor content around people who have

epilepsy " .

The difference between these two statements is in the approach: I accept

that until there is definitive research available to prove otherwise, we

must - on a professional level - take in to account anecdotal evidence when

making a judgement on what we use on our clients. That’s my view as a

practicing therapist. You, as an independent aromatherapy educator, can take

a less cautious stand, because at the end of the day its not you who faces

the practicality of dealing with seizure or the consequences of litigation

should such a situation occur (and proving that the incident occurred due to

" prior conditioning " would be tricky to say the least).

 

We agree on many things Martin, but on this I hope we can amicably agree to

differ.

Liz

IFPA Council member, Aromatherapist, Wife, Mum, Grandma, Idiot (according to

some) and none web page owner with nothing to sell.

Not necessarily in that order.